Calculating machine



Mar. 3. 1925. .1,528,271

C. A. SCOTT CALCULATING MACHINE Filed Aug. '7, 1924 5' Sheets-heet 1 460560 3e--5. 'l L/ G 4 Leb/14,@

@Wow so l @Jui/knew Mar. 3. 1925. 1,528,271

c. A. SCOTT GALCULATING MACHINE Filed Aug. '7, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet P @M265 A. 5202i @Mummia CALCULATING MACHI NE Filed Aug. '7, 1924 3 sheets-sheet s Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES CHARLES A. SGOTT, 0F ROCKFOPVD, ILLINOIS.

CALCULATING- MACHINE.

Application filed August 7, 19.24. Serial No. 739,668.

To (all whom t may concern:

lle it known that I, @Harnais A. Soo'r'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State oft illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Calculating l'lachines; and l do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to maize and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in calculating machines of the type having a plurality of numeral vvheels bearing the numerals l tov 9. and Zero, together with setting raclrs Jfor the wheels', usually operated by means of an ordinary pencil or like device. The numeral Wheels` in the present disclosure are provided with gears With which the teeth ot the racks mesh;y means are provided for temporarily holding said racks in any of the numerous positions to which they may be moved, and upon release of such means. the racks return to their normal positions. @ne object of the invention is to provide novel means for first relatively moving said racks and Wheels to entirely unmesh the gears from the racks, and for then releasing the rack-holding means, insuring that return movement of the racks andany recoil which might take place, shall not change the settings of the numeral Wheels.

In the preferred form of construction, the numeral Wheels are movable away from the racks, and a further aim is to provide a novel carrier for said wheels and unique operating means for moving said carrier in a manner to effect unmeshing of the numeral Wheel gears and racks.

i further aim is to provide a construction in Which part of the carrier-operating means serves to release the rack-holding means after the gears and racks have been moved out of mesh with each other.

In machines of the class to which I have referred, when any numeral Wheel of a relatively lo\v denomination is turned beyond a given point (at Which 9 is visible), it is Otten necessary that the next turning of said Wheel shall advance the numeral Wheel or". the next higher denomination one step. It is a further object of the invention to make novel provision for effecting this result.

A still further object is to provide a structure in which part ot' the means for moving the above named Wheel-carrier Jforms part of the means for advancing a Wheel of a relatively high denomination by means oi the wheel oi the next loiver denominationv` as referred to in the preceding paragraph.

Yet another aim is to provide resetting means for the numeral Wheels, into engagement With which said Wheels are moved, When shifted away from the setting racks.

An additional object is to provide a calculating machine which ivill be extremely simple and inexpensive,y easy to operate, ac'- curate, durable, #fool-proof and'in every WayA desirable.

llVith the foregoing and minor objects in view, the invention resides in the, novel subject matter hereinafter desfribed and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanyingdrawings-` Figure l is a top plan view of calculating machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View with the casing bottom removed.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, illustrating one of the setting racks held in a position to which it has been moved.

Figure 4 is a vievv similar to Fig. 3 Slioiving the manner in which the numeral Wheel gears are unmeshed from the setting racks before release of the rack-,holding means.

Figure 5 is a vieiv similar to Figs. 3 and illustrating the Way in which a relatively loiv denomination numeral Wheel advances the Wheel oi the next higher denomination. In this vieu', the first setting rack is omitted.

Figure 6 is a perspective view ot the numeral Wheel carrier.

Figure 'T is perspective vieiv ot the ilanged bar which is secured on Jthe carrier for engagement with levers which operate the carrier and perform other functions hereinafter described.

Figure 8 is a perspective view ot' one of the levers referred to in the preceding paragraph and one of the raclcactuating leven.

Figure Q is a detail sectional view of a different means for operating the resetting roller.

ln the drawings above orietly described, the numeral l designates an elongated casing which may be described as having a top plate 2, although the device may he used in such a position that the plate2would constitute more oi' a front plate than a top plate. For clearness of explanation however, the device will be hereinafter described as if it were used'in a horizontal position.

The top plate 2 is formed with a plurality of parallel longitudinal slots 3 and with an equal plurality of viewvopenings 4. Visible through these openings, are the nu mei'als of a plurality of numeral wheels `5 of gradually increasing denominations, each wheel being provided with the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0. All of the wheels 5 are frictionally mounted upon `a transverse shaft 6 in axial alinement with each other, and each wheel is provided with a spur gear 7. These gears mesh with the teeth 8 of setting racks 9 which are slidably engaged with the slots 3 and provided with springs 10 by'means of Y which they may be returned to normal po- CII sition, in which position they abut against a stop 1l extending across the top or the plate 2. Each of the setting racks 9 is provided with a plurality of sockets 12 which are numbered from 1 to 9. The point ol: a pencil or the like may be inserted in any Vof these sockets and the desired rack 9 thus moved until the pencilor other manipulating device comes in contact with a stop bar 13 which extends across the top of the plate 2. This manipulation of the rack, causes the numeral wheel 5 associated ywith said rack to display a number in the adjacent opening 4 corresponding to the number of the socket into which the pencil or the like is inserted. This general manner'o operation is common to a number or" devices similar vto my invention and requires no further explanation.

A plurality of self-applying dogs 14 have been shown in the casing 1, positioned to engage t-he teeth 8 ot the racks 9 so as to hold said racks temporarily in any positions to' which they may be moved. It is intended however, that after operation of any` of the racks 9, the gears 7 shall be moved out of mesh with the racks, and the dogs 14 then released, so that the rack or racks previously operated may return to their normal positions under the influence Yof the springs 10. To accomplish these results, a novel construction and arrangement Vof parts is provided.

A carrier is provided for the shalt o. This carrier preferably comprises a pair of parallel side arms 15 which carry the shaft 6upon which the wheels5 are mounted. The arms 15 Vare held in spaced relation by a transverse flat bar 16 and a tie-rod 17,111 the present disclosure, andthese arins are pivoted tothe side walls of the casing by a transverse rod 18. An appropriate spring f 19 is provided to normally swing tlieentire carrier toward the racks 9, so as to hold the gears 7 in mesh with the rack teeth 8, but

means are provided for swinging said car-V` n c rier to umnesh the gears trom the raclt teeth and to then release the dogs14.

A transverse har or plate 2O is shown, suitably secured upon the bar 16, said bar 2O having parallel lateral iianges 21 and 22,

Yintermediate port-ions are slidably received in the slots 24 and are provided with ngers 26 interposed between the. flange 2,3 and the bar 2O to engage the former. These levers are fulcrumed at one end as indicated atv 2'? and their other ends, they are provided with lugs 28 which overlie and are normally spaced above the dogs 14. rlliese lugs 28 are instrumental in releasing the dogs 14 oi all units of the machine, except the unit of the. lowest denomination. The' dog this unit however is released byrnieans hereinafter described. Y

A lever-operating plate 29 extends transl versely or the casing 1 and is pivoted therein at 80, said plate having arms 81'which over-V lie the lugs 28 as seen in Fiss. f3 and4. The plate 29 is also provided with an operating arm 32 to which a push rod 83 is connected, said rod extending to the exterior of the casing, at one end of the latter. When this push rod is forced jinwardly, plate 2 9 is rocked about its pivot 80, causing the arms 81 to engage the lugs 28 Vand swing the levers 25downwardly, causing the fingers 26 to pull downwardly upon Vthe `flange 28, thereby swinging the carrier arms 15 downwardly and moving the gears7 out or mesh with Vthe rack teeth 8. Y One or more gears T are out ot mesh with the rack teeth 8, the lugs 28 release the dogs 14 from engagement with said rack teeth, thereby releasing the rack or racks and permitting return to normal position. lWhen this return taires place, the gears and raclis are entirely out of mesh so that there is no danger whatever oi"- any return motionon the part of the racks, or any recoiheecting any movement whatever ot the numeral wheels 5. Y

'l have stated above that the dog 14 ot the rack 9 t'oi the numeral wheel having the lowest denomination, is not released by one ot the lugs 28.` ln the present showing, to accomplish this unction, a vlug 84 is provided on one of the arms 3L' rlhe ulcrums 27 for the levers 25 are carried by the lower ends of a plurality of' lll) angular actuating levers which are prof vided for all of the setting racks 8, except the rack for the numeral wheel of the lowest denomination. These actuating levers are so disposed that when the racks 9 are in their normal positions, they engage the levers as show-n in Fig. 3. At certain times, one or more of the levers 35 are operated from certain of the numeral wheels 5, through the instrumentality of lateral pins 36 on said wheels, engageable with shoulders 37- on the levers v25 and when any of said levers 35 is moved by its respective lever 25, it in turn moves the setting rack 9 with which it contacts, so as to turn the numeral wheel 5 associated with this rack, the distance between two numerals of said wheel, that is one step of a revolution.

By the association oi' parts just described, it will be seen that when any wheel 5 of a relatively low-denomination has been turned until its pin 36 contacts with the co-acting shoulder 37, that the next operation of said wheel will cause said pin -and shoulder to longitudinally shift the associated lever 25, causing' said lever to in tur-n move the lever 35 with which it is connected, thereby operating the setting rack 9 for the wheel 5 of the next higher denomination. For instance, if two ot the wheels 5 should be set so as to disclose 69 in the openings 4, and the setting rack of' the wheel displaying 9 is moved to add the numeral 1, such movement' of the rack will move the wheel to display a zero instead of a 9, -and this movement of the wheel causes turning of the next adjacent wheel to show 7 instead of 6.

Before proceeding, the facts may be em,- phasized that the levers 25 form part of the means for swinging the wheel carrier away from the setting racks 9, that said levers 25 also form part of the mechanical actuating means for said setting racks, and that the levers in question further act as releasing means for the dogs 14. The elimination of a number of parts has thus been effected by assigning a multiple function to the levers 25.

Means are provided associated in a novel manner with the parts above described, for re-setting the numeral wheels 5 at the end of any calculating operation. At 38, I have shown a. re-setting roller extending across the casing 1 and provided with a number of rubber faces or the like 89, into contact with which the wheels 5 may be moved by manipulation of the push rod 83 to swing the carrier arms 15 and said wheels away from the setting racks 9. Thus, by turning the roller 38, all of the wheels 5 may be reset, so that their zeros appear in the openings 4, the re-setting movement of the wheels being limited by suitable stops ou a cross bar 4l, which stops co-act with the pins 36. above described. Any desired means may be employed for turning the roller 3S, such as the knob 42 shown in Fig. 2, or the rack 43 and ratchet 4 4 depicted in Fig. 9.

In operating the device, the wheels 5 are set by manipulation of the setting racks 9 and each racl; is momentarily held in the position to which it has been moved, by the dog 14. After each operation oil the racks, the push rod S3 is operated, causing unnieshing of the gears 7 from thel ratchet teeth 8 and permitting return of the racks to their normal positions, and often when any of the numeral wheels is turned beyond the point at which its numeral 9 is visible, said wheel operates the associated levers 25 and 35 to move the rack 9 for the wheel of the next higher denomination, turning the latter one step. At the co1npletion of any calculating operation, the push rod 88 is used to shift the wheels 5 into Contact with the resetting roller 38, so that this roller may be used to re-set all of the wheels at zero, leaving the device in readiness for another calculation.

Excellent results have been obtained from the general construction shown and de scribed and such construction is therefore preferably followed, but within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous modiiications may be made.

l claim:

1. A calculatin'f machine comprising a numeral wheel having a gear, a slida-ble setting rack meshing with said gear, means for holding Said rack in any position to which it is moved, and means for irst moving said rack and gears relatively to entirely umnesh them and for then releasing said rack-.holding means.

2, A calculating machine comprising a numeral wheel having a gear, a slidable setting rack meshing' with said gear, means for holding said rack in any position to which it is moved, a carrier for said numeral wheel mounted for movement away from said setting rack, and means for first moving said carrier to entirely unmesh the gear from the rack and for then releasing said rack-holding means.

3. A calculating machine comprising a nume-ral wheel having a gear, a slidable setting rack meshing with said gear, means for holding said rack in any position to which it is moved, a movably mounted carrier on which said wheel is mounted, and a lever connected with said carrier for moving it away from the rack to unmesh the gear from said rack, said lever having' means for releasing' said rack-holding means after it is moved to gear and rack-unmeshing position.

4. calculating machine comprising a support, a. numeral wheel under said support having a gear, a setting rack slidably engaged with said support and meshing with said gear, means under said support Y adapted to engage said rack and hold it in any position to which it is moved, a carrier for said wheel movable downwardly from said support, a lever mounted under said support and adapted to move said carrier downwardly to unmesh the aforesaid gear trom the setting rack, said lever having a lateral lug engaged with said rack-holding means-to release the latterI when the gear and rack have been unmeshed, and a manually controlled actuator for said lever.

5. A calculating machineV comprising a numeral Vwheel having a gear, a slidably mounted setting rack meshing with said gear, means adapted to engage said rack and hold it in any position to which it is moved, a pair of parallel arms pivotally mounted for movement toward and from the rack, said wheel' being carried by said arms, a cross bar secured at its ends to said'arms, a lever having a portion engaging said cross bar to swing the arms and unmesh the afore- VVsaid gear from the rack, said lever engagingksaid rack-holding means to release 'the latterafter unmeshing of the gear from the rack, and a manually-controlled actuator for the-lever. Y

6. A calculating machine comprising numeral wheels or" relatively low and high denominations, separate setting devices for said wheels, a carrier on which said wheels are mounted, means for moving said carrier to move said wheels out of operative relation with said setting devices, and transfer mechanism formed Vin part by a portion of said carriage moving means.

7. A calculating machine comprising a numeral wheel of relatively low denomination, a second numeral wheel of comparatively high denomination, separatesetting devices for said wheels, a carrier for said y wheels adaptedto move them out of operative engagement with said setting devices,

an actuating lmember for the setting device of the high denomination wheel adapted to be engaged by such device when the latter the numeral Ywheels out of operative engage-- ment with the setting devices, and means for bodily shifting said lever to voperate said actuating member when said low denomination .wheel is turned beyond a predetermined point.

' 8. A. structure as specified in claim 7 g said actuating member having a finger slidably engaged with said carrier to establish connection between the two 9. A calculating machine lcomprising a numeral wheel of relativelylow denomination, a second wheel ofV comparatively high denomination, a carrier 'for said wheels, said carrier bein@ provided with a crossbar having parallel lateral flanges, and a third llange extending from -one of said pair of flanges to the other flange, said other flange having a transverse slot,separate setting devices for said wheels adapted to return to initial position when the wheels arev moved y out ofjoperative relation therewith, an actuating lever orthe setting device of the high denomination wheel, a second VVleve-rV connected at one end to vsaid actuating lever and having a finger passing through the above named. slot and vslidably engaging said third flange, means for swinging said second lever to move the aforesaid carrier and consequently shift the numeral wheels out of operative relation Vwith the setting devices, and means for longitudinallyshifting said second lever to operate the abovenamedV actuating lever Whenthe low 'denomination wheel is turned beyond a predetermined point.

ln testimony whereof IV have hereunto aitiXed my signature.

` CHARLES A. SCOTT. 

